HMD: Nokia 7.2 unlockable bootloader was wrong

Finnish smartphone maker HMD Global will release an update that will no longer make the Nokia 7.2 bootloader unlockable. The bootloader is unlockable, but according to the manufacturer this is an ‘accidental mistake’.

In an upcoming update, HMD will make the option to unlock the bootloader unusable again, NokiaMob reports. The Finnish manufacturer, like Huawei, does not allow users to unlock the bootloader. It was not the intention, according to HMD, for users to be able to unlock the bootloader via a fastboot command.

Unlocking the bootloader is possible by tapping that option in the Developer Options, after which a fastboot command ‘fastboot flashing unlock’ unlocks the bootloader. Unlocking the bootloader allows flashing an alternative recovery and custom rom. Some custom ROMs have longer support than the manufacturer’s software, making it the only way for some users of older devices to get the latest security updates at some point.

HMD released the 7.2 along with the 6.2 this fall. They both fall into the Android One program. An unlockable bootloader is not required in this, although other devices with Android One often have an unlockable bootloader.